Patent EA-004825-B1 (EA)
Title: Method for reutilising plastic receptacles and article produced by said method
IPC: B29K101/00
Filed: 2002-03-14
Abstract: 1. A method for reutilising plastic receptacles made of the material possessing heat-shrinkage properties, wherein hole-type heat-shrinkable elements are made by cutting plastic receptacles and used for coating the surface of structural elements and/or for connecting structural elements together in the process of transforming the structural elements into articles, with hole-type heat-shrinkable elements and structural elements being arranged relative to each other in such a way that hole-type elements are positioned as external elements, while structural elements are positioned as internal elements in the process of coating and/or connecting, and further hole-type heat-shrinkable elements are mounted at the place of coating and/or connection by heat shrinking the latter until the contact is reached with the surface being coated and/or with the surface of the structural elements being connected. 2. A method for reutilising as in claim 1, wherein hole-type heat-shrinkable elements are made from plastic receptacles by cutting a neck and/or bottom part from said receptacles to form hole-type elements in the form of tubes or cylinders comprising the bottom or neck part. 3. A method for reutilising as in any claim 1-2, wherein hole-type elements are made from receptacles being bottles having a cylindrical form. 4. A method for reutilising as in any claim 1-3, wherein hole-type heat-shrinkable elements are made from plastic receptacles fabricated mainly of polyethylene terephthalate by pneumatic molding. 5. A method for reutilising as in any claim 1-4, wherein each of the articles is produced by connecting structural elements together end-to-end by means of hole-type heat-shrinkable elements, with the hole-type elements being mounted in such a way that one hole-type heat-shrinkable element overlaps a part of the surface of the adjacent hole-type heat-shrinkable element or being mounted with a clearance between adjacent hole-type heat-shrinkable elements. 6. A method for reutilising as in claim 5, wherein structural elements are connected together in series to form an article of a specific length, or initially a row is formed from hole-type elements and structural elements accommodated therein, and afterwards structural elements are connected actually simultaneously. 7. A method for reutilising as in any claim 5-6, wherein structural elements, located at each end of the row, are connected by means of hole-type heat-shrinkable elements made in the form of cylinders, each comprising the neck or bottom part. 8. A method for reutilising as in any claim 5-7, wherein at least an outer side surface of each of structural elements is provided with a coating by mounting at least one hole-type heat-shrinkable element before connection. 9. A method for reutilising in any claim 5-8, wherein an article assembled from structural elements is coated using hole-type heat-shrinkable elements, with said hole-type heat-shrinkable elements being positioned in series and in such a way that one hole-type element overlaps a part of the surface of the adjacent element to form the coating, or initially a row of said hole-type heat-shrinkable elements is formed positioning them so that one element overlaps a part of the surface of the other by a magnitude determined by degree of shrinkage, when hole-type heat-shrinkable elements are heated, and large enough for one said hole-type heat-shrinkable element to overlap a part of the surface of the other element in the shrunk condition. 10. A method for reutilising as in claim 1, wherein each of the articles is produced from cylindrical structural elements having similar end diameter by connecting them together in series end-to-end by means of hole-type heat-shrinkable elements, being cylinders formed by cutting plastic bottles, with hole-type heat-shrinkable elements being positioned in the process of connection in such a way that each following element overlaps a part of the surface of the previous element, while the connection is started and terminated by means of hole-type heat-shrinkable elements having the bottom. 11. A method for reutilising as in any claims 1-10, wherein containers in the form of cans comprising at least one collar and provided mainly with the advertising information are used as structural elements. 12. A method for reutilising in any claims 1-10, wherein blocks assembled from flat elements formed by punching from mainly secondary corrugated board are used as structural elements. 13. An article, used mainly as a construction and/or advertising element, comprising hole-type and/or solid mainly cylindrical and/or prismatic structural elements with smoothly mating faces, wherein in said article the structural elements are oriented relative to each other end-to-end and connected together by means of at least one hole-type heat-shrinkable element, with hole-type heat-shrinkable elements, produced by cutting plastic receptacles made of heat-shrinkable material, being used as hole-type heat-shrinkable elements. 14. An article in claim 13, wherein the structural elements are connected together end-to-end. 15. An article in any claims 13-14, wherein at least a part of joints comprises joint elements each having first and second bearing surfaces engaging with ends of adjacent structural elements, with said bearing surfaces being in the planes inclined relative to each other and defining curvature of the article. 16. An article in claim 15, wherein each of the joint elements is made in the form of a flat element, with the joint element being fitted between ends of adjacent structural elements and having the shape corresponding to that of the surface of the structural element ends. 17. An article in claim 15, wherein each of the joint elements is made in the form of a sleeve receiving ends of adjacent structural elements, with the sleeve having the configuration of the inner surface corresponding to that of the structural element ends and comprising at least one circumferential bead on the outer side surface. 18. An article in any claims 13-17, wherein structural elements are used, each comprising at least one circumferential bead on the outer side surface or stiffening members made in the form of flanges on both ends. 19. An article in any claims 13-18, wherein structural elements are connected together by means of hole-type heat-shrinkable elements mounted in such a way that one element overlaps a part of the surface of the other. 20. An article in claim 19, wherein structural elements located at both ends of the article are connected together by means of hole-type heat-shrinkable elements made in the form of cylinders comprising the bottom or neck part. 21. An article in any claims 13-20, wherein the article is provided with a coating formed by means of hole-type heat-shrinkable elements mounted at least in one layer and in such a way that one said hole-type heat-shrinkable element overlaps a part of the surface of the other element. 22. An article in any claims 13-22, wherein the article is provided with connective elements mounted on ends or side surface, each comprising a base and any conventional fastening member rigidly connected thereto, with the base having the shape corresponding to that of the end or side surface of the article and connected with the article using hole-type heat-shrinkable elements. 23. An article in any claims 13-22, wherein containers and/or hole-type members made of containers are used as structural elements. 24. An article in claim 23, wherein cans having at least one collar and containing the advertising information thereon are used. 25. An article in any claims 13-22, wherein the blocks assembled from flat elements punched from corrugated cardboard are used as structural elements.